Youth skills vital for India’s future, says Lokesh

India is swiftly moving toward a $5 trillion economy, but the long-term vision is to build a $30 trillion economic powerhouse, said Andhra Pradesh Minister for Education, IT, and Electronics Nara Lokesh.

Addressing the CII–VIT Andhra Pradesh Higher Education Conclave 2025 in Amaravati on Wednesday, Mr. Lokesh stressed that strategic reforms in higher education are vital to achieve this national goal.

The Minister informed that Andhra Pradesh attracted $120 billion in investments over the past 17 months due to its “speed of doing” policies, with another $120 billion expected soon. “Our target is $1 trillion in investments by 2029,” he said, emphasising that strong States strengthen the nation.

Highlighting India’s demographic advantage, with 54% of its population under 25, Mr. Lokesh said that only 34.7% of the workforce has formal skill training. He underlined the urgent need for skill-oriented education. He said: “To bridge the skill gap, the government has launched a skill census and an AI-based “Naipunyam Portal” to align the youths capabilities with industry needs.”

The Minister announced that Andhra Pradesh aims to become a $2.4 trillion economy by 2047, with education serving as the cornerstone. Mr. Lokesh identified five focus areas, including curriculum to career, research and innovation, digital skills, internationalisation, and regional balance, to transform the State into a knowledge and innovation hub.